Kail comtectioit



E. W. DORSEY.

RAIL CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 1919.

1,312,620. Patented Aug; 12,1919.

INVENTOR.

EDWARD W. DDRSEY canton.

EDWARD W. DORSEY, 0F NEWARK, OHIO.

RAIL CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12, 1919.

Application filed April 9*, 1919. Serial no. 288,671.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD W. DORSEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Newark, in the county of Licking and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Connections, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improve ments in rail joints for railway tracks, or tracks and switches, and is especially designed for connecting a rail of two tracks or a rail of a main track and a rail of an adjoining switch, for the purpose of preventing uneven creeping between the two tracks or track and switch. As is well known the passing traffic of the rolling stock on the railroad causes the rails to creep, and the greater the traffic, the more the rails creep. Thus at the junction of the rails of a switch with the rails of a main track, the rails of the main track hearing more traflic, are caused to creep more than the rails of the switch, with the consequence that the rails at the switch juncture become out of alinement, bent, or disjointed, and due to these defects the adjustment of switches have to be changed with great frequency to avoid accidents. The primary purpose of the present invention is the utilization of one or more of the rail joints between the main track rails and the switch or siding rails, to couple the rails, laterally, so that they will form a web, which will not necessarily prevent creeping of the rails, but will cause them to creep as a unit, or at least have the strain of traflic so equalized as to preserve the relationship of the different rails. In this manner the rails of the track and the rails of the siding or switch are held in proper relationship to preserve alinement and prevent disjointing of the rails.

In the accompanying drawings one complete example of the physical embodiment of the invention is illustrated, according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch mechanism and junction between a main line and a switch of a railroad, showing the rails joined in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the joint members, showing also part of rails that are joined for convenience of illustration of the invention.

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view on line 11 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4c shows a modified form of the invention.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention I have shown in diagrammatic form the rails 1 and 2 of a main track of a railroad, and the rails 3 and l of a siding which joins the main track with the usual switch construction involving the use of the spring rail frog 5 and the switch points or movable rails 6 that are thrown by the lever mechanism 7 in usual manner. The cross ties 8 are of usual and well known form, except that they may be grooved or cut away at 9 when one of the joints, indicated as a whole by the numeral 10, is located above a tie.

The joint device forms a flexible connection between the rails and comprises a pair of malleable or wrought iron plates 11 and 12, the former section having a forked head or socket 13, and the latter a flat head 14, both perforated and alined to receive the pivot bolt 15 passed vertically therethrough and secured by the nut 16 and cotter pin 17 in usual manner.

At the outer edge of each joint plate are fashioned beads 18, 18 which fit up snugly under the rail head and against the web on top of the inside base flange of the rails, and these beads are of suflicient length to insure a firm and rigid connection with the rail to form a pivotal support for the joint. Preferably the ends of the beads are fashioned as perforated flanges 19 to receive the transverse bolts 20 that are passed through the perforated flanges and through openings in the web of the rail, the usual nuts 21 and cotters 22 being utilized to secure the bolts in position, and a long washer plate 23 may be utilized at the outer sides of the rails that are joined to perform its usual functions.

In Fig. 1 it will thus be seen that the joints are connected with the rails of the tracks and switch to form a unitary web with flexible joints between the rails, and the strain of a passing train on the main tracks of the road is not confined to these track rails alone, but as the rails of the straight track creep with the approach and passing of the rolling stock, the movement is imparted, indirectly to the rails of the switch, through the rail joints. Thus the creeping of the rails is participated in by both the track rails and the switch rails and they move en masse or as a unit. The more frequent traflic on the main line causes the main line tracks or rails to creep more than that of the switches, but the creeping of the switch rails, when traflic is passing over them is also taken up by the main line rails through the joints or checks.

The pivotal connection between the plates of the oints adapts them for use at different angles between the main track rail and switch rail for the reason that the plates may be moved at angles to each other to adapt them for use near to or distant from the point of convergence of the rails depending upon the inclosed angle.

The unequal creeping between the main track and the switch rails causes the rails at the switch juncture to open or tighten thereby causing failure of the delicate interlocking appliances to operate properly, and necessitating, quite frequently, the rails to be driven backward or forward by hand to their original position and adjustment.

In F ig. 4 a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein the switch rail 8 and the track rail 2 are jointed by the plates 11 and 12 with a pivoted link 13 and these joints are especially adapted for use innarrow spaces, with no likelihood of pulling or spreading apart.

What I claim is- 1. The combination with rails as described, of a rail joint device comprising a pair of members rigidly secured to the respective rails and having integral lap ing portions, and a pivot bolt extending through, and flexibly connecting, said lapping portions.

2. The combination with the converging rails of a flexible joint device comprising sections secured to the respective rails and adapted for positioning at various angles to each other, said sections having lapping portions between the rails, and a vertical pivot bolt extending through said lapping portions.

3. The combination with the converging rails of a flexible joint device therebetween, said device comprising plates each formed with a bead and flanges for engaging and securing to the rail webs, and a vertical bolt extending through, and forming a pivotal connection between said plates.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

EDWARD W. DORSEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

